Throwing the wedding rule book out the window, Kelsey and Scott planned a wedding that was true to their relationship – fun, laughter-filled and full of ways to connect with the guests. From Scott’s custom-western suit down to their witness raffle, their eccentric wedding was a hit with guests.

Taking charge of the photography, Alexis from Goldlight Photography did an amazing job at capturing the bright, laughter-filled day. Alongside her was Laura from Mirrorball Hearts Club, capturing the videography from the day.

When Kelsey sent Scott a silly gif on Bumble, she never thought it would lead to their laughter-filled wedding. Scott used the element of surprise for their proposal, turning a tradition they did into something even more special. “Every month, we go to Port Elliot to get the Donut of the Month, and in August 2021, the flavour was Kit Kat and malt chocolate (Scott’s favourite). On Sunday, we drove up to the lookout after getting our donuts and ate them while looking over the ocean like we always do,” Kelsey recalled. “Scott waited until there was no one else around and awkwardly dropped to one knee and proposed very quickly because he was so nervous. I thought it was a prank and asked if he was joking but in the end ecstatically said yes!”

Picked fresh from their cousin’s garden the day before, Kelsey and Scott’s mums assembled the bouquets, boutonnieres and table arrangements. Hanging off a ribbon on her bouquet, Kelsey also had her Uncle Tony’s opal close to her, sharing, “He unfortunately passed before the wedding day, so it felt special to have him there with me in spirit.”

For their wedding invites, Scott and Kelsey wanted to include their love for vinyl collecting and designed their own album cover. “We did a photoshoot in our backyard, and Scott made the album cover in Photoshop. Then we bought a bunch of secondhand vinyl records for the inside of the envelope. It really showcased who we are as people and how we wanted every aspect of our wedding to be fun and different.”

Scott wanted to ditch traditional menswear and invested his time into researching alternative options, eventually finding Reigner Clothing to help. After months of designing with the team, they created a custom western-themed suit. Complete with stitched designs, the wedding date and sequins to make the designs really pop. He paired the suit with a bolo tie that featured an emerald green stone to match Kelsey’s dress, a pair of custom black R.M. Williams boots and a brown Akubra.

They kept the wedding party small, with Scott’s brother Will as his best man and Kelsey’s best friend Ashley as her maid of honour. Kelsey and Ash wore these adorable customised Crocs while they got ready, Ash wearing one with her name on it and Kelsey wearing one with Scott’s name.

On the same wavelength as Scott, Kelsey also knew she wouldn’t wear the traditional white gown. On the same day as their proposal, she came across an Instagram post from Chotronette featuring this luscious, voluminous green dress and instantly knew it was the one. “I wanted to be comfortable throughout the day, so I opted not to wear heels and instead sported my everyday shoe – a pair of black Mary-Jane Doc Martens.”

To match the western, rustic and lively vibes of the day, The Aldinga Secret Garden was their venue of choice. “While researching venues, we knew we wanted something small and intimate, and when we stumbled upon the Aldinga Secret Garden, we fell in love and knew it was the perfect venue for us.”

The venue was styled to perfection, with mismatched chair sets, rustic rugs, vintage furnishings, and so much more. The entry sign was DIY’d by Scott and Kelsey, made from a vintage mirror they thrifted and decalled by a friend.

Kelsey walked down the aisle with her dad as their ceremony musician performed a beautiful rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. “I have a special place in my heart for our ceremony music which was performed by my cousin, Adrien Whitehead, who travelled from Melbourne to play and made the music even more special for us.”

Another way Kelsey and Scott’s wedding was unique was the beginning of their ceremony. “We allowed our guests 30 seconds before the ceremony started to take photos of us before our unplugged ceremony. We posed and were silly together and it really calmed us both down before the ceremony and set the tone for how fun the day would be.”

The rest of the ceremony was relaxed but still incredibly fun. The celebrant, Kerry from Vow Now, matched the couple’s witty energy so well that guests were singing her praises all day. “Both Scott and I wrote our own vows, and (unplanned) we both made a joke about my immense love for Harry Styles. It really showed how well we know each other and how we are able to joke together.”

Subverting expectations again at the end of their ceremony, they held a “Witness Raffle.” To involve their friends as much as possible, they picked two names out of a cup, and the names drawn were the witnesses for their marriage certificate. “We also had a group singalong after our paperwork signing of the Arthur Theme Song with our ceremony musician and all our guests.”

After the ceremony, the wedding party took off for their portraits, their joy-filled energy seeping through all the photos. Goldlight Photography was tasked with capturing all the incredible feelings from the day – and absolutely smashed it out of the park. “Alexis was our only choice! She photographed Scott’s best friend’s wedding, and although we weren’t engaged then, we both decided she would be our photographer.”

As the afternoon continued in the Fleurieu Peninsula, guests enjoyed the nibbles spread, drinks from the bar and Wilma from the Woody – the Wood-Oven Wagon for their main course. The reception continued in a blur of laughter, speeches and heart-warming connections.

 

When asked what their top five favourite moments of the day were, they shared: “Both of us crying happy tears at the ceremony, how relaxed and easy the whole day felt, sweating it out on the dance floor to our favourite songs, singing our lungs out to the final song of the night, having sore cheeks at the end of the night from non stop smiling and laughing.”

 

Ready to boogie on the dance floor, Kelsey changed into a cocktail length of her gown for the reception. For the first dance, Kelsey and Scott chose “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves, and not wanting the spotlight on them for too long, inviting their guests to join them on the dance floor halfway through.

They finished their wedding doing what they loved the most, boogying the night away with their loved ones. “Kelsey’s brother (who never gets on the dance floor) spent a majority of the night on the dance floor singing along to the music and dancing with everyone, and our DJ said our dance floor was the busiest one he’s worked in his career. We wanted everyone to have fun and the whole day to feel like a party, and we truly achieved that.”

A huge thanks to Laura from Mirrorball Hearts Club for sharing this eccentric wedding with us and to Alexis from Goldlight Photography for capturing the incredible energy of the day! And a giant congratulations to Kelsey and Scott, for creating this bright, laughter-filled event.